Course Objective
- Describe the challenges in defining social stressors across the life course
- Explain the importance of examining sex differences and the effect of social stressors on obesity
- List the potential mechanisms by which social stressors impact obesity
Date: April 5, 2016
Presenter:
Shakira F. Suglia, ScD, MD
Associate Professor, Epidemiology
Columbia University Mailman School of Public Health
In this webinar, Dr. Suglia provides an overview of the physiological responses to stressors and their relationship to obesity. Stressors have a significant impact on mental and physical health, with high levels of stress associated with eating disorders and obesity. There is also a sociodemographic gradient within this relationship, meaning that individuals with low SES experience a greater number of social risk factors and suffer more frequently from obesity. This disparity is also seen between genders, with girls and women experiencing more stress than their male counterparts.
